In the wake of last week's tense interview with coach Mike Singletary, Dennis O'Donnell, the host of the "Coach's Corner" segment on KPIX, has been replaced by Kim Coyle. Coyle takes over starting with today's taping.

Because the show is done as part of a contracted partnership, the 49ers have editorial input. 49ers spokesman Bob Lange said changing hosts was a "joint agreement (with KPIX) to give the interviews a better dynamic going forward."

The key, Lange said, is that Coyle will be able to do the interviews face-to-face with Singletary at the 49ers' team headquarters in Santa Clara. O'Donnell asked his questions from the KPIX studio in San Francisco.

Last week, Singletary was rankled by questions about the communication problems that plagued the 49ers' in their season-opening defeat.

When O'Donnell asked about quarterback Alex Smith, for example, Singletary snapped: "Alex will be fine Monday night. Watch the game and you will see that Alex will be fine. I don't want to talk about time. I don't want to talk about clock. I don't want to talk about any of that. I want to talk about New Orleans if you want to talk about that."

O'Donnell and Ron Longinotti, the KPIX general manager, did not return phone calls.